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LETHAL WEAPONS
Author: Floyd Burk
When it comes to weapons competition on the open-tournament circuit, two names stand head and shoulders above the rest. Larry Lam ruled the roost in the North American Sport Karate Association from 1989 to 1994.
He regularly wowed judges with his snappy kama and open-hand routines until his retirement in 1995. Extensive training in karate and kung fu and a fourth-degree black belt in taekwondo gave him the skills he needed to rise to the top and spend a few years there. Richard Branden was king of various NASKA weapons divisions on 10 occasions during the early 1990s. An expert in the Chinese arts, he was inducted into the Black Belt Hall of Fame in 1992 as Kung Fu Artist of the Year. Both men now teach at Larry Lam’s Studio Kicks in Los Gatos, California.
Despite the fact that Lam and Branden battled their way to the top of the same circuit, they used radically different methodologies to get there.
Lam, who portrayed Leonardo in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II and III, has always believed that the competitor who does the best job of integrating flashy moves with good basics will have the winning edge. Branden, an original stunt double for The Power Rangers and a star of WMAC Masters, holds that the student who practices the most and works the hardest on his flips and balancing skills will have the advantage. They agree, however, that the best way to guarantee success is to adopt a training program that covers all the bases. The advice they offer in this story is the perfect place to start.
—F.B.
When trying to decide which weapon to learn for competition, select one that suits you and your style.
Richard Branden: You should learn at least two different weapons, then choose the one that best fits your natural ability. Body type can be a factor in that decision. Short, stocky people look best when using short-range weapons such as the nunchaku, kama or sword. Tall, skinny people are more visually appealing when using long-range weapons like the kwandao, staff or spear.
Larry Lam: If you are a good kicker, use a weapon that isn’t bulky—the kama, for example. If you’re not so good with your feet, go with the bo (staff ). Non-flexible weapons like the kama, sword and bo are the easiest to master, whereas flexible weapons like the nunchaku, the dart with chain and the three-sectional staff are much harder to learn and offer a higher probability of you making mistakes in competition.
Choose a form that is designed for your particular weapon and that fits your physique.
Branden: Your body often dictates what form you should choose. Light, skinny people are best suited for acrobatic, high-jumping forms, while those who are strong and stocky do better with good low-line forms that accent fast, spinning moves.
Don’t wield your weapon for a few weeks and then think you will win a national competition.
Branden: You should spend eight months to one year training with a particular weapon before adding advanced choreography or performing with it in competition.
When your basic skills are sharp, it’s time to specialize in the moves your weapon was designed for.
Branden: If you perform with a sword, remember that whenever you move, the sword is moving with you—deflecting and parrying strikes from [imaginary] spears, staffs and swords. Become one with your weapon. Spend extra time holding, carrying and bowing with it. Practice in an environment that is similar to the one in which the competition will take place. Lay out the ring and put chairs where the judges will be sitting, then go through your entire routine, including giving the presentation and addressing the judges. Remain in your ending pose while your scores are being tallied, leave the ring and show courtesy to the next competitor. Then change the ring around and practice facing different directions.
Practice in pieces until your form is perfect.
Branden: Once the choreography of your routine is set, you must break down that form into four sections plus the presentation and ending. That gives you six pieces to work on.
Practice each section three times, and then go through the entire routine. Do this several times a day.
Lam: Always utilize your weapon fully. For instance, with the kama, my favorite, you must do more than just kama spins. Use the butt of the handle for thrusting strikes. The side and back of the blade and the handle can be used for blocking. Slicing and cutting should be varied and delivered to different areas of the opponent’s body such as the legs, midsection, neck and limbs.
Don’t let your cardiovascular fitness slide. Supplement your forms training with kickbox-fitness workouts, wind sprints and other cardio exercises.
To gain the edge on the competition, use flashy moves to spice up your routine.
Branden: Flips seem to give the most flash, so it’s good to incorporate a few of those into your program. A lot of what you do depends on the ring or the stage that you will be performing on, so if the area is too small, you may have to go with only spins. Spin sets where you follow one or two spins with nice high kicks can also attract attention to your form.
Flash is different for everyone, so you have to experiment with what works for you.
Balance techniques are another way to make your form stand out. You can pause and demonstrate a really low stance, or you can go up high and balance on one leg. But if you add this stuff to your routine, you need to really get it down because the balance moves are easy to mess up.
A good coach who is experienced in developing choreography is important because he will ensure that all the moves in your routine blend together well. He will also help you improve your focus, confidence and spirit, which the judges always look for.
Lam: Make sure you break up the rhythm of your form by doing techniques in various sets. Accenting your moves is even more important than doing the flips, so don’t throw too many jump kicks in a row. Set the kicks up by first throwing low techniques, then go into the air to highlight and accent your flashy stuff.
Keep working on your strengths in your form. If you are good at doing regrabs, spins and other tricks, work on those. If you do great kicks or flips and you are able to incorporate them into your form, work on those, too. Some people do great spins, kicks and flips and then make a mistake when they momentarily pause to throw a punch. Remember that the judges look at how many times you stumble, so don’t forget to also work on your basics. Regardless of who the judges are or whether they are biased toward gymnastics and flashy moves, the basics are still the No. 1 ingredient.
Make sure your uniform fits nicely, is clean and pressed, and is not cluttered with patches.
Lam: White uniforms make you look cleaner, while black ones make you seem faster. If you mix them up, never wear white bottoms and a black top because it will make you look squashed into the ground. Black pants with a white top is the way to go. Use common sense about color coordination if you plan on wearing a flashy multi-colored team uniform. Always keep your sleeves rolled up and don’t wear bell-bottom pants. It’s OK to taper the pant legs, but don’t make them so tight that you can’t hear the snap when you kick. ...